AUGUSTA

Activists: Get BPA out of baby food containers

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FUEL FOR PROTEST: Hilary Clark of York wears a referee’s shirt Tuesday at Middle and Temple streets in Portland, where protesters gathered to “blow the whistle” on members of Maine’s congressional delegation who have benefited from oil industry donations. John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Maine environmental-health activists say they will press state officials to consider a new rule eliminating the chemical bisphenol-A from containers of infant formula, baby and toddler foods.

The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine on Tuesday announced a signature collection effort to press the Board of Environmental Protection for a new rule regulating bisphenol-A, which the alliance says is linked to cancer, learning disabilities and obesity. The group also released test results that it says show BPA in containers of baby and toddler food sold in Maine.

In response, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce said BPA has been thoroughly tested and has a safety track record of 50 years.

Lawmakers last year made the use of BPA illegal in baby bottles, sippy cups and other reusable food and beverage containers.

Belfast officer justified in use of deadly force, AG says

Maine’s attorney general has ruled that a Belfast police officer was justified in using deadly force when he shot and seriously wounded a man who was armed with a shotgun and refused to heed orders to put his hands up.

A report released Tuesday concluded that it was reasonable for Officer Daniel Fitzpatrick to use deadly force to protect himself when he shot Benjamin Thompson, 26, of Swanville, in his abdomen and leg shortly before midnight on June 8, 2011.

Attorney General William Schneider’s report said Fitzpatrick fired four shots when Thompson got out of his vehicle and ran after leading police on a chase from a nearby town.

Schneider said that when Thompson was arrested, he had a cocked and loaded shotgun and implored the arresting officers to kill him.

Three people indicted in string of burglaries

An Augusta man, his girlfriend and his sister have been indicted on more than 100 criminal charges in connection with a string of burglaries across central Maine.

Authorities said that 25-year-old John Grotton, 25, faces 93 charges.

His girlfriend, Emily Allen-Perry, 22, of Jefferson, faces 46 charges.

Grotton’s sister, Kiley Grotton, 23, of Augusta, faces eight charges.

Grotton was scheduled to appear in Kennebec County Superior Court on Tuesday.

Police allege Grotton targeted homes, stealing jewelry and electronics, which he either pawned or traded for drugs.

Police told the Kennebec Journal that his girlfriend was his getaway driver.

The communities where the alleged offenses occurred include Augusta, Belgrade, Benton, Chelsea, China, Clinton, Gardiner, Hallowell, Manchester, Pittston, Readfield, Vassalboro, Waterville, Windsor and Winthrop.

SACO

Woman, two men arrested after standoff with police

Two men and a woman were arrested after a five-hour standoff late Monday night into early Tuesday morning, police said.

Police said they went to a house on Ferry Road to check on Christian Decker, 20, to make sure he was complying with the conditions of his release on bail for two drug charges.

Deputy Chief Jeffrey Holland said Decker has “an extensive history for becoming combative or fleeing from police,” so officers covered front and rear entrances to the house.

According to police, through windows they saw Decker; Damien Tilman, 21, of Biddeford; and Stormie Kehling, 21, of Saco, apparently taking drugs, so they knocked on the door and announced themselves, but no one inside responded initially.

Police said Decker eventually spoke with officers through a closed door, but police also saw the three drawing the shades, turning off lights and moving furniture to block the doors.

According to Holland, the officers heard someone saying they would “smoke them if they come in the door,” so the officers called for backup.

After unsuccessfully negotiating with Decker to surrender, Holland said, the officers forced their way into the house and arrested the three.

Decker was charged with violating conditions of release, creating a police standoff, possessing drugs and obstructing government administration. He was taken to the York County Jail and is scheduled to appear in York County Superior Court on April 5.

Tilman and Kehling were charged with creating a police standoff, obstructing government administration and falsifying evidence.

Tilman posted $500 bail at the Saco police station, was released and is scheduled to appear in Biddeford District Court on April 25. Kehling was unable to post the $250 bail and was taken to the York County Jail. She is also scheduled to appear in Biddeford District Court on April 25.

PORTLAND

Police seek information on convenience store robbery

A man with a knife robbed a convenience store on Washington Avenue early Tuesday.

The man had a knife in his hand when he threatened the clerk and demanded money at the Big Apple around 3:20 a.m., according to police. He fled on foot with a small amount of cash, Lt. Gary Rogers said.

No one was hurt during the robbery.

The robber is described as a black man in his mid-30s, 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 150 to 170 pounds. Police are asking people with information about the crime to call 874-8533.

School board solicits input on next superintendent

The Portland school board tonight will hold the second of three 90-minute forums to solicit input from the community about the hiring of the next superintendent.

Tonight’s meeting is scheduled for 7 in the gymnasium of Lyman Moore Middle School, 171 Auburn St.

The final meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria of Riverton Elementary School, 1600 Forest Ave.

The board has hired PROACT Search, a national consulting firm, to facilitate the search. The company has been working with the board to coordinate community forums and group discussions with Portland parents, students, teachers, administrators, organizations, elected officials and other important stakeholders.

INDIAN ISLAND

Domestic incident leads to state police standoff

Maine State Police took a man into custody after a standoff at his home on Indian Island.

Police said the standoff with Charles Attean, 31, began during the pre-dawn hours Tuesday and ended just before 8 a.m. They said it started after a domestic incident at the house. No one was hurt.

Police said Attean was taken into custody as he tried to run out his back door. Police had been negotiating with him by phone and loudspeaker.

BINGHAM

Foul play unlikely in death of Massachusetts man

Police do not think the Massachusetts man who was found dead in the driveway of a home during the weekend was a victim of a crime.

Police said Ernest Sayers, 61, of Haverhill left a trail of blood on the snow, road and the ice before coming to rest in the driveway of a Bingham home early Sunday. He was not dressed appropriately for the weather at the time, when temperatures were around zero.

A spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety said the agency is still awaiting autopsy results for the cause of death.

Sayers was in Bingham to visit his longtime girlfriend, Janice Gitschie.

Gitschie told the Kennebec Journal that Sayers’ death does not make sense. He was found a short way from her home.

BANGOR

Boiler malfunction blamed in police station explosion

Police working the early shift at the Bangor Police Department got quite a surprise.

Officers reported hearing a loud explosion from the boiler room around 6:40 a.m. Tuesday and seeing a plume of smoke coming from a roof vent.

The building was evacuated and the fire department was called.

The fire department accessed the boiler room and within a minute deemed the building safe to re-enter.

There was no damage to the boiler room. It appears there was some sort of malfunction with the boiler when it turned on. It will be inspected.

KITTERY

Tractor-trailer jackknifes, slows turnpike traffic

A tractor-trailer jackknifed on the Maine Turnpike in Kittery on Tuesday morning, backing up traffic for several hours.

The tractor-trailer jackknifed around 6 a.m. and blocked two of three southbound lanes near mile marker 1, according to a news release from Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.

The driver of the truck, Paul Regan, 55, of New Hampshire, sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital in Portsmouth, N.H.

State police said the crash occurred after Regan swerved suddenly to avoid hitting a second big rig. Regan said he swerved his rig across three lanes of traffic to avoid the collision.

The truck hit the concrete barrier in the median and jackknifed. The empty truck, owned by New England Motor Freight of Elizabeth, N.J., was going from Scarborough to North Reading, Mass. The tractor portion was demolished.

HINCKLEY

School gets power from new rooftop solar project

The Good Will-Hinckley School in central Maine is going solar.

President Glenn Cummings said the school has begun powering its campus with renewable energy from a new $125,000 rooftop solar project.

The 25.6-kilowatt solar system was financed and installed by ReVision Energy, Maine’s largest solar energy installation company. ReVision will own the equipment and supply energy to the school for six years, then Good Will-Hinckley will be able to buy the equipment.

Cummings said the system will save the school at least $112,000 over the life of the project. The system provides about 10 percent of the school’s energy needs.

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